Awards - j. ashley-smith

Aurealis Awards 2025 shortlist

by Joseph | Apr 17, 2025 | Awards, Free Stories, News

Delighted to learn my tragic, magic realist magpie love story – The Beautiful Thing You Once Were – has been shortlisted for an Aurealis Award. Some stories you just love irrationally, and this one broke my heart over and over as I wrote it. It’s the 30-year anniversary of the Awards, too, so doubly special to get a nod.

Congrats to all on the shortlist, especially the many good friends and colleagues! (I’ll spare you all another round of multi-tagging – know that I love you all and think you’re ace.)

Check out the shortlist here.

And the story at Bourbon Penn…

Winner Best Collection, Ditmar Awards 2024

by Joseph | Oct 8, 2024 | Awards, Let The Cat In, News, The Measure of Sorrow

Returned from hols yesterday to learn The Measure of Sorrow (Meerkat Press) won Best Collection in this year’s Ditmar Awards!

And as if that wasn’t enough, Let The Cat In won the Ditmar for Best Fan Publication. Kudos to Kaaron Warren and Aaron Dries for three years of shit-talking banter…

Congrats to all the winners and shortlistees, but a special shoutout to Kaaron for the Bitters love, and to CH Pearce for the Ditmar trifecta. Huge thanks to all who voted – and to all the volunteers who’ve kept these awards alive since 1969.

ACT Book of the Year Awards 2024

by Joseph | Aug 7, 2024 | Awards, Events, News, The Measure of Sorrow, Uncategorised, Video

Wonderful morning at the Tuggeranong Library, celebrating the ACT Book of the Year Award. Huge congrats to Chris Hammer for his win, to Ayesha Inoon for her HC for Untethered, and to all the shortlistees. So lovely to meet everybody!

I may have squeaked when the Minister announced that #TheMeasureOfSorrow was Highly Commended. A massive result for a humble spec fic collection…

If you’re so inclined, you can watch the full ceremony (c/o of Libraries Act) below. Worth it for Tara Cheyne’s opening speech and Chris Hammer’s acceptance – inspiring stuff!

ACT Book of the Year 2024 shortlist

by Joseph | Jul 19, 2024 | Awards, The Measure of Sorrow

So… this happened. Absolutely bonkers…

You can read all about it in the Canberra City News.

Aurealis shortlist

by Joseph | Mar 19, 2024 | Awards, News, The Measure of Sorrow

Downright chuffed to learn The Measure Of Sorrow is on the Aurealis Award shortlist for best collection. There’s some esteemed company on the list, and it means the world to even get a nod.

Congrats to all the shortlistees and a big shout out to my homies on the list – some with 2, 3 and 4 noms!

Check out the full list here…

Ariadne, I Love You wins a Ditmar!

by Joseph | Oct 1, 2022 | Ariadne, I Love You, Awards, News

So Ariadne, I Love You won best novella at the Ditmar Awards on Saturday. Absolutely bonkers when you look at the books it was up against. I managed to pull it together enough to give a semi-coherent acceptance speech – this time not just a long list of happy expletives.

Congrats to all the nominees and this year’s winners. But an extra solid shout-out to J.S. Breukelaar who won best novel for The Bridge. A twofer for Meerkat Press!

How fkn chuffed do these kats look?